The Ghosts That We Knew
by RYCBAR24601
Summary: Inspired by the Mumford and Sons song 'The Ghosts That We Knew'. It is about the relationship of the Thenardier siblings, Eponine and Gavroche. It is from Gavroche's point of view. Rated teen for character death. Also in the books category under the title, "And We'll Live A Long Life"


This is based off of the Mumford and Sons song The Ghosts That We Knew, and yes I know it isn't the complete lyrics. The lyrics part is Eponine, the rest of Gavroche, although the lyrics get to be both Gavroche and Eponine at the end.

I don't own Les Mis, the characters, the songs or the lyrics etc.

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_You saw my pain, washed out in the rain_

_Broken glass, saw the blood run from my veins_

Gavroche watched as the color slowly drained from Eponine's body as she lied in Marius arms with a simple smile plastered across her face, fighting through the pain her brother knew she felt. He felt the deepest part of him, his soul, urging him forwards to be with Eponine. After all it is family she should be with at the end, not the man who never loved her back, but for some reason he couldn't move. His legs, which had carried him swiftly through the winding Parisian streets for as long as he could remember felt like lead now.

"Eponine" he whispered, he meant to scream her name, too let her know he was there, but his lungs failed him too. He thought he saw Eponine's face turn towards him for just a moment. A glimmer of recognition, a smile for her brother, he smiled back, at least he was capable of that. Her body seized, the pain growing too great for even her to handle. Gavroche felt the tear rolling down his face before he realized he was crying, it was a strange sensation. He couldn't remember the last time he had cried, but he did not wipe it away. Why should he be ashamed of a tear shed for his sister? His tear would fall and join the rain which he hoped was washing away his sister's pain. He watched as Eponine seized once more and relaxed for a moment, and stroked Marius's cheek before her body went limp at last.

_But you saw no fault no cracks in my heart_

_And you knelt beside my hope torn apart_

Gavroche watched as Marius hugged Eponine to him before gently kissing her on her forehead. Too little too late Gavroche thought to himself as he saw Enjolras move forward to take Eponine's body away from this place. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Courfeyrac looking down at him, a tear rolling down his face as well. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Gavroche didn't know how to answer. Yes of course he was alright, Gavroche was always alright, but that would be a lie. No left too much unsaid. So instead he looked up at Courfeyrac and answered, "she was my sister." Courfeyrac looked at Gavroche with a look of utter shock and sympathy, but those were two things that Gavroche did not want at this moment. His lungs were working again he now knew, so he trusted his legs did too. Before Courfeyrac could say a word Gavroche shrugged off Courfeyrac's hand which still rested on his shoulder and followed Enjolras into the tavern.

Enjolras laid Eponine on the floor and muttered something before walking away. He saw Gavroche and nodded at him solemnly as he headed out into the street. Gavroche walked over to Eponine slowly and knelt down beside her. "I'm sorry" he said as he took her hand, stained from her own blood. Looking down at her arm Gavroche could see a bruise in the shape of a hand half faded under the dirt and grime, "but you're safe now."

_But the ghosts that we knew will flicker from view _

_And we'll live a long life_

Gavroche was only six when he left the Thenardiers, ran away from their father's harsh words and hurtful stares. He didn't give Gavroche food, and both he and Eponine were starving, attempting to live off of half of Eponine's rations which she shared with Gavroche.

"It will be better if I leave" Gavroche had told Eponine one night, "I see boys on the streets, they look a lot stronger than me, better fed you know?"

"No Gavroche, it isn't safe." Eponine had responded. "We'll be fine, now go to bed." She had kissed him on the forehead before going to bed herself. But in the morning Gavroche was gone. Run away from this miserable life hoping there would be something better, hoping Eponine would now have enough to eat.

_So give me hope in the darkness that I will see the light_

_Cause oh they gave me such a fright_

_But I will hold as long as you like_

_Just promise me we'll be alright_

But Eponine did not let her brother disappear, she went out at nights calling his name, and she didn't have to call for long. On the third day after he ran away Gavroche heard his sister calling for him and ran out into the streets, she did not know but Gavroche had been watching her as well.

"Eponine, you decided to leave too" he called in an excited tone.

"No…Papa told me I can never leave, he said I will start to help with the expenses soon."

"Is it because…" Gavroche started, in a guilty tone.

"No" Eponine interrupted her brother, "he was actually said he was pleased to see you go." And although Gavroche could not remember ever having loving their father for some reason he felt hurt. "But not me" Eponine responded quickly, "never me, I just came to check on you."

Gavroche smiled at that. They spent the rest of the night eating bread that Gavroche had nicked from the baker's as Eponine told him fairy tales and Gavroche told her his tales of his three days on the streets. They had full bellies and good company and Gavroche remembered thinking if his life could just continue in this way, everything would be alright.

_So lead me back_

_Turn south from that place_

_And close my eyes to my recent disgrace_

Eponine ran into Gavroche sometimes, her face streaked with tears, and cheek bright red. He would prod her, ask her what was wrong but she simply responded with, "the living can be hard sometimes you know."

"I have to steal too, I know it isn't easy" Gavroche would respond.

Eponine would smile at his, but Gavroche still thought his sister's eyes seemed too distant, he tried to bring her back. He would tell her tricks of the trade, share bits of information he had learned as they wandered throughout Paris together. As they walked and Gavroche talked Eponine would just look forward with an empty stare until she would stopped midstep. Gavroche would pause and look up at her and she would say something ridiculous like, "how many goats do you think it would take to pull that carriage," as she pointed to the most ornate carriage she could find. Gavroche would look at her with a dumbfounded look and she would break out into laughter and with her laughter the light returned to her eyes.

"I think it would have to be at least ten." Gavroche would reply.

"Yes," Eponine would reply, "ten sounds like a good guess."

_Cause you know my call_

_And we'll share my all_

_And our children come, they will hear me roar_

The boys who ran with Gavroche came to love Eponine as well even though at first they thought she was someone to be feared. They weren't used to seeing teenage girls. The entire female gender was a bit of a mystery to the street urchins of Paris, who could barely remember ever having a mother. But Eponine soon took that maternal place. When she was not busy at nights she would come and tell them stories before they went to bed. Although Gavroche was great at telling stories of his life, their life, on the streets he could never tell the fairy tales like Eponine could. She would tell them the stories of Rosanella, the Imp Prince, and The Lost Children.

As the sun set at the barricade Gavroche wished Eponine could tell him one more story. But she couldn't tell stories anymore, so instead Gavroche told her a story; his favorite, Jean, the Soldier, and Eulalie, the Devil's Daughter. When he finished he lay down next to Eponine and hoped he would be able to visit her in his sleep.

When he awoke, Gavroche heard the men outside mention damaged gunpowder, the rain must have destroyed it during the night. The fight would be over soon, their cause crushed and their lives gone because some rain. The memory of them would fade, and things would continue as they always had. The dreams of some school boys would swept away with the rain, and the uneven balance of power would remain.

Unless they could get more gunpowder, Gavroche thought of the fallen soldiers on the other side of the barricade. They could have dry gunpowder, the fight was not over yet, his sister did not have to die in vain.

_But hold me still, bury my heart on the coals_

_And hold me still, bury my heart next to yours. _

The first bullet hit his shoulder, pushing him back onto the ground. He stood up, he had faced things bigger than a little bullet before and done just fine. After all what was a bullet, but a small piece of metal, he was stronger that it. He crawled forward and picked another cartridge of gun powder from a fallen solider. The second bullet pierced his vest, looking down he could see a stain forming. But this wasn't going to stop him either he thought to himself. After all, little people know, when little people fight, we may look easy pickings but we've got some fight. But as Gavroche tried to move forward he felt as though his head was floating away from him. He tried to fight it, to move forward but he felt his strength leaving him, as if it were leaching away. The world slipped away and was replaced by black as he collapsed.

_So give me hope in the darkness that I will see the light_

_Cause oh that gave me such a fright_

_But I will hold on with all of my might_

_Just promise me we'll be alright_

"Gavroche" he heard. Gavroche opened his eyes to see Eponine looking down at him. She was dressed as a girl again, not like a boy as she was at the barricade. Her clothes were clean and free of holes. Her skin looked radiant, clear and clean, without a blemish or bruise. Looking down at himself he saw that he as well as dressed in clean clothes. Eponine offered out her hand to Gavroche and pulled him up.

"What happened?" Gavroche asked.

"The Barricade." Eponine responded.

_But the ghosts that we knew made us black and all blue_

_But we'll live a long life_

"Then it is all over?" Gavroche asked.

"Yes." Eponine replied as they started to walk through the streets of Paris that they were so familiar with. But now the streets were clean, and as much as Gavroche looked around he could see no poor.

"Did we lose?" He asked.

"I don't know." Eponine replied.

"But we are dead?" Gavroche was full of so many questions, he didn't know where to start.

"Yes, I think so."

"Then it was all for nothing?"

"No Gavroche, it wasn't for nothing, look around you 'Roche, we are safe."

_And the ghosts that we knew will flicker from view_

_And we'll live a long life_

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Thanks for reading, please review, it really does help.


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